On the battlefield, hundreds of soldiers from two rival clans rushed toward each other, their weapons clashing in a brutal frenzy. One of the clans seemed on the verge of victory when a mysterious figure suddenly appeared in the sky.
"It is Lord Jace!" one of the soldiers cried out.
Lord Jace Tyson was a powerful entity, widely regarded as a god, the god of war and death. His very name sent chills down the spines of many. His terrifying presence stripped men of their courage and confidence; he looked like a demon incarnate.
Flanking him in the sky were his fiancée, Lady Lucy, his best friend, General Tom, his disciples, his elders, and other powerful figures from his clan.
"It is time we rule over our enemies," Lord Jace declared. "Once we rid ourselves of these clans, we will be at our peak."
"Can I do the honors, honey?" Lady Lucy asked.
Jace hesitated, wanting to refuse, but ultimately nodded in agreement.
Lucy flew down toward the battlefield, and the enemy soldiers charged blindly toward her.
She drew her sword and, in a flash, killed more than thirty men. She was infamous for decapitating her opponents. After wiping out the weakened clan and their leader, she turned to face the remaining faction and cut down half of their forces, one by one.
Then a sudden, powerful blast struck her down.
The devastating blast was launched by Lord Joe Gest, the leader of the remaining clan. Seeing her fall, Jace flew down in a fury.
The moment he touched the ground, the soldiers surrounding him erupted into flames and perished.
Joe unsheathed his sword, a lethal weapon that brought instant death to any soldier it touched, and charged at Jace. He lunged forward to deliver a fatal stab, but Jace blocked the strike with his own blade, unleashing a massive shockwave.
"You know you are no match for me," Jace declared, pushing Joe back with his blade before kicking Joe's sword away.
With Joe disarmed, Jace landed a heavy punch. Joe tried desperately to defend himself, but Jace's strikes rained down relentlessly from every angle.
Jace launched Joe high into the air with a swift kick, then sent him crashing back down to earth. Channeling his full strength, he began punching Joe into the ground.
Energy blazed in Jace's palm, more than enough to kill Joe.
"What do you have to say, Joe?"
Joe coughed and laughed. "Today is your funeral."
He smiled, and Jace suddenly felt a searing pain in his stomach.
Jace touched his stomach, saw blood on his hand, and realized a sword had been driven through him.
He turned around and saw his best friend, General Tom, standing behind him, gripping the hilt.
"You...!" He was completely speechless.
Joe laughed as he got up. His sword flew back into his hand, and he gripped it tightly. "What do you think?" Joe asked him, before looking over at Lucy. "Come."
Lucy got up and walked toward them.
"What are you doing?" Jace gasped. Blood spilled from his mouth as Tom slowly twisted the sword deeper into his body. "Run while you still can!"
Instead, Lucy walked right up to Jace and quickly touched his chest.
Pain, sharp and sudden, tore through him. He looked down and saw Lucy gripping the dagger buried in his heart.
"Why?" he whispered.
She sneered. "Like you said, aim for the peak. I don't cling to losers, just as you told me not to run away."
She looked at him with pure hatred.
"I always loved you," Jace said. "And now you betray me."
"I knew you wouldn't last long." She dropped her dagger and stepped back as Tom held her by the waist.
"You two conspired against me," Jace muttered.
He tried to stand, but Joe stabbed him with both his own sword and Jace's sword.
Jace looked around and saw that his disciples and clan members stood frozen, taking no action to help. He knew right then that it was a setup.
"I would have killed you, but I wanted you to watch your family die first," Joe said.
Jace turned his head to see his home engulfed in flames, while attackers raided the property. Drawing on what little strength remained, he immediately formed a protective shield barrier around himself.
Joe smiled, took a soldier's sword, and struck the shield barrier, weakening it.
Suddenly, a woman dashed out of the crowd and cut down most of Jace's disciples.
The shield barrier shattered, and just as Joe raised his sword to finish Jace, a blast knocked it from his hand. Before she could strike again, Lucy lunged at her and pinned her to the ground.
Jace looked closer. It was one of his faithful servants, the one who had warned him several times about Lucy and Joe, and he had ignored her every time. Tears ran down his face as he watched her struggle.
Then, in a burst of anger, Joe hurled a sword from where he stood, and it pierced her.
Jace flinched, but he knew he couldn't do anything. He wished he could change time!
"Finish him already, will you?" Lucy growled.
Joe recalled his sword to his hand. "Any last words?"
He swiftly moved toward Jace to kill him.
Jace looked at him. "I will... return."
Immediately, he unleashed the energy within him, causing a huge explosion, and there was a bright light...